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NEW CANAAN, Conn.  Questions about recent votes to alter rules for New Canaans pension program prompted First Selectman Robert Mallozzi III to call for an independent review of policies and procedures.

Mallozzi wants to find an outside firm to conduct a review, he said during Tuesdays regular selectmens meeting.

The call was prompted after resolutions last month by the Board of Finance and Town Council to lower the vesting time for town pensions from five years to four years. The votes grandfathered in former First Selectman Jeb Walker and former Selectman Sally Hines, who had served on the towns top board for four years.

Mallozzi and Selectman Beth Jones voted to approve authorizing the review. Selectman Nick Williams was not at the meeting. Having an independent review will kind of give us direction on where to go, Mallozzi said. We want to know where we need to look from an objective standpoint.

The selectmen do not want the review to mirror the Town Council-led investigation of the Lakeview Avenue Bridge arbitration payment. Councilors interviewed several town officials last summer to find out how an arbitration payment to Loureiro Builders was made without the councils knowledge.

A lot of questions need to be answered, Jones said, and she agreed with Mallozzi that the process should not be personal or politicized. I think this is an ideal solution to find an objective, professional group that understands the process or how the process should be, she said.

Mallozzi said hes aiming to have a list of firms for the selectmen to review by September, but he does not have a timetable for when the review should be finished.